Crisis in Phoenix as Bledsoe explains mystery tweet

Phoenix Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe has likely played his last game for the team, general manager Ryan McDonough said Monday, as the turmoil engulfing the franchise deepened.

McDonough said Bledsoe had been sent home and would not play against the Sacramento Kings later Monday following discussions after a morning shootaround.

Bledsoe's likely exit from the organisation came after a tumultuous 24 hours which saw coach Earl Watson fired on Sunday just three games into the new season.

Bledsoe, 27, signalled his unhappiness shortly before Watson's sacking was announced on Sunday, writing on Twitter: "I don't wanna be here."

McDonough said Bledsoe later attempted to claim he was referencing a trip to a hair salon rather than his dissatisfaction with the Suns.

"He said he was at a hair salon. ... I didn't believe that to be true," McDonough said. "He won't be with us going forward."

The Suns were routed 130-88 on Saturday by the Los Angeles Clippers, falling to 0-3 to start the season. It was the Suns' second loss by a margin of 40 or more points this season.

"The whole team is embarrassed," Bledsoe said after Saturday's mauling by the Clippers.

"I think I have to do a better job of being a leader and a floor general out there."

The Suns then spent the summer dangling Bledsoe in trade talks — most notably in a failed three-team deal for Kyrie Irving that would have sent Bledsoe and Paul George to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Suns couldn’t have been confident Bledsoe would return a happy camper to a team that remained too young to compete, and now they face the prospect of getting pennies on the dollar in return for a player, when healthy, has produced averages of 17.6 points, six assists and 4.7 rebounds as a starter.

They may have Bledsoe under contract for this season and next, but there’s no way they can keep him around now.

How are you going to let a point guard who doesn’t want to be on the team infect a culture that’s trying to instill proper professionalism in recent lottery picks Devin Booker, Josh Jackson, Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss? Bledsoe could help a lot of teams, especially a Cavs team that is already dealing with an injury to Derrick Rose, but nobody will give up any value for him.

Bledsoe is close to LeBron James, and they share the same agent. Keep one eye out on that front.

And another on this one:

DeAndre Jordan seemed to be pitching a return to the Los Angeles Clippers for Bledsoe with this tweet shortly after his former teammate tweeted his displeasure with Phoenix. Bledsoe wanted off a contending Clips team in 2013 (and even earlier) because Chris Paul was standing in the way of a starting position, but with Paul gone and Milos Teodosic out indefinitely with plantar fasciitis, there’s a need there, too. The Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks are also reportedly in the market:

Wherever Bledsoe lands, it’s not shocking at all that he’s been benched and made available to the highest bidder after his “I don’t wanna be here” tweet, even if he tried to play it off as trivial:

With Ball Don't Lie - Yahoo Sports