5 potential replacements for Terry Stotts as Trail Blazers head coach

1. Jason Kidd, Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach

When Frank Vogel was hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kidd came on as an assistant, it was easy to see a succession plan if Vogel failed or just plain didn’t get along with LeBron James. Two years in, despite a disappointing first-round playoff exit this year, there are no questions about Vogel’s job security.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports is perhaps the most plugged-in reporter when it come to access to Lillard. So the quote early in Haynes’ piece about the Trail Blazers’ coaching search credibly carries weight.

“Jason Kidd is the guy I want,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports on Friday night.

Kidd and Lillard share a hometown (Oakland). Despite a noted lack of interpersonal skills at times in his two previous head coaching stops (Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks), questions about strategies/adjustments and concerns about his past off the court, Kidd will be a head coach again if he wants it. The Boston Celtics have been reported to have interest in him as well.

Giannis Antetokounmpo notably took up for Kidd as the Bucks were set to fire him. That connection with a star player was surely noticed and remembered by others, including presumably Lillard. So Kidd and the Trail Blazers look like a match, and if they hire him, they’ll be hoping the guy Lillard wants has evolved a bit.