Report: Suns shut Bledsoe down for season

Eric Bledsoe's season appears to have come to a premature end, as the Phoenix Suns have reportedly shut the guard down, according to AZCentral.com.

Bledsoe entered Wednesday's game against the Kings having started all 66 games he had suited up for this year, was originally set to come off the bench behind rookie Tyler Ulis, but was eventually deemed a late scratch, as Phoenix went on to a 107-101 defeat at the hands of Sacramento.

Suns head coach Earl Watson told reporters that sitting Bledsoe against the Kings was a "management decision," before speaking about Bledsoe's season in past tense.

"Bled’s been great, he had a great season, he played at a high level," Watson said. "He’s been dominant all year. He’s taken a big leap in the right direction. There’s a lot of room for him to grow and he’s excited about that."

Bledsoe, who admitted to let knee pain recently, averaged a career-high 21.1 points and 6.3 assists to go along with 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 33 minutes per game. The 27-year-old, who underwent a season-ending, left meniscus surgery in Dec. 2015, has two years and $29.5 million remaining on his contract after this season.