Damian Lillard on Portland's head coach opening: 'Jason Kidd is the guy I want'
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Damian Lillard’s top preference to become the next head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers is Los Angeles Lakers assistant Jason Kidd.
“Jason Kidd is the guy I want,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports on Friday night.
Lillard intends to have significant input on the next hire, sources said.
The Trail Blazers and Terry Stotts parted ways on Friday, opening up a coaching vacancy that has been occupied for nine seasons. The move was proceeded by a first-round exit issued by a depleted Denver Nuggets squad.
rest - https://sports.yahoo.com/damian-lill...043651102.html
Jason Kidd says he won't vie to fill Portland Trail Blazers' head-coaching vacancy
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Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Portland Trail Blazers head-coaching vacancy, he told ESPN on Sunday morning.
"Portland's a first-class organization and will have great candidates for its head coaching job, but I've decided not to be one of them," Kidd told ESPN. "Whoever they choose will have big shoes to fill from Terry [Stotts]."
Kidd was ultimately uncomfortable with the idea of pursuing the opening after Blazers star Damian Lillard publicly called for his hiring within hours of Stotts' departure on Friday night. The public nature of Lillard's endorsement -- telling Yahoo Sports that "Jason Kidd is the guy I want" -- left Kidd feeling he would put both Lillard and Portland's process in an awkward circumstance should he pursue the opening.
rest - https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...aching-vacancy