Eric Bledsoe Sent Home Amid Suns Trade Request Rumors

A day after apparently making a public trade request via Twitter, Eric Bledsoe has been sent home by the Phoenix Suns.

Chris Haynes of ESPN reported Bledsoe met with team officials Monday morning and will not play against the Sacramento Kings. It is unclear whether the team suspended Bledsoe or if it was a mutually agreed upon decision.

Bledsoe tweeted, "I don't wanna be here" on Sunday afternoon, sending social media into an uproar over what looked like a blatant trade request. Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, Bledsoe's former teammate, took it as such and implored him to come back to the team.

Haynes further reported the Suns sent Bledsoe home with the expectation he will be traded in the near future. The New York Knicks are among the teams to express interest, per ESPN's Ian Begley. 

Suns general manager Ryan McDonough later told reporters that Bledsoe told them he was at a hair salon, but McDonough did not believe that explanation.

"He won't be with us going forward," McDonough added.

The Suns fired head coach Earl Watson on Sunday within hours of Bledsoe's tweet. Phoenix is off to an 0-3 start, including two losses by more than 40 points. 

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 reported the two events were unrelated. Bledsoe requested a trade out of Phoenix before the season, and Watson's firing was not an attempt to appease the disgruntled point guard.

Devin Booker and Mike James will likely handle primary ball-handling duties, with Tyler Ulis also seeing an uptick in minutes. James has been the team's first point guard off the bench through the first three games and should slide into the starting lineup.

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