Call-Up #3: Dijon Thompson Joins Atlanta

Dijon Thompson has landed in Atlanta and will officially sign a contract with the Hawks tomorrow (Friday), sources close to the situation informed DraftExpress. Thompson is the third player to be called up to the NBA from the D-League this season, and will sign a 10-day contract with Atlanta. He will suit up for his first game on Saturday when the Hawks host the Clippers.

Thompson was the 54th overall pick of the 2005 draft, and ended up in Phoenix as a result of a draft day trade. He spent some time with Albuquerque in the D-League last season, and was recalled back to the NBA in December. Thompson had micro-fracture knee surgery in March and was let go by the Suns in the off-season. He was in veteran’s camp with the Golden State Warriors before the start of the season, and re-joined Albuquerque as a free agent in late November.

In Albuquerque, Thompson was one of the best players in the D-League. He averaged 20.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game this season while shooting nearly 50% from the field. Thompson ranked 6th in the D-League in both his scoring and rebounding averages this season.

In Atlanta, he will replace his close friend and former college roommate Cedric Bozeman, who was released Tuesday. He will see some time filling in for injured small forward Josh Smith, and has a chance to impress and earn another 10-day contract right off the bat due to the numerous injuries Atlanta has suffered.