Suns' Tyler Johnson Out for Remainder of Season After Surgery on Injured Knee

The Phoenix Suns announced Thursday shooting guard Tyler Johnson will miss the remainder of the 2018-19 NBA season after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee. 

Johnson appeared in 13 games for Phoenix after being acquired in a February trade with the Miami Heat.

The 26-year-old Fresno State product has been sidelined since mid-March because of soreness in his right knee. Now he'll officially miss the team's final three games.

He averaged 10.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 41.3 percent from the field, including 34.6 percent on threes, in 57 games with the Heat and Suns this season.

After arriving via trade, Johnson said he spoke with his teammates about the outside perception of just having to play hard for 48 minutes against Phoenix because the unproven squad would eventually "give up."

"It's right there, if not better," he told reporters about the team's amount of young talent compared to the rest of the NBA. "It's just that, putting it all together takes more of the mental side of basketball than it does just the physical side. So mentally, I think that's where we've got to grow as a team."

Although the Suns own the league's second-worst record at 18-61, they did win five of their next eight games after he made those comments, showcasing his potential value as a leader.

Johnson holds a player option for next season at $19.2 million, per Spotrac. It's unlikely he'll decline it given his mundane production in 2018-19, especially now that he's coming off surgery.

Meanwhile, Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported the Suns have also shut down budding star Devin Booker for the final three games with an ankle sprain.

That's going to open a lot of backcourt minutes for the last few contests. Young players like Elie Okobo and De'Anthony Melton figure to receive the biggest uptick in playing time, while the Suns also figure to give Jimmer Fredette a closer look down the stretch.