Official waiver in Detroit
The Detroit Pistons have waived forward Dawson Garcia with immediate effect, leaving him without an NBA team as of September 15. The move confirms the player's departure from the franchise hours after Detroit signed him to a preseason deal on the same date.
The transaction is already listed as effective in NBA.com oficial and was contextualized by Hoops Rumors, which frames the waiver within Detroit's usual pattern of quick sign-and-cut moves designed to secure G League rights.
Garcia profile
Garcia, an undrafted forward in 2025 after five college seasons at Marquette, North Carolina and Minnesota, had already spent time in Detroit's organization last fall without appearing in an NBA game. With affiliate Motor City Cruise, he played 17 games last season and averaged 6.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 16.1 minutes per contest.
What the waiver means
By leaving the main roster, Garcia becomes a free agent on the NBA transaction log until his next step is defined. The most likely scenario within Detroit's project is a return to Motor City Cruise, the Pistons' G League affiliate, where the club could keep him as an affiliate player after the same-day sign-and-waive sequence.
Hoops Rumors notes that both moves — the signing and the waiver — fit Exhibit 10 contracts: if Garcia spends at least 60 days with the Cruise, he could earn a bonus worth up to $91,000 on top of his base G League salary.
Roster context
For the Pistons, the move fits the development profiles Detroit has been rotating through its preseason roster spots this September. Garcia did not hold a secured NBA role, but his effective waiver frees a roster place while the franchise reshapes the G League path for several players signed to non-guaranteed deals.
