Jason Kidd rumored to be top Trail Blazers coaching target if Stotts is fired

The buzz around the league that Terry Stotts would be fired as the Trail Blazers’ coach unless Portland made a deep playoff run has only grown louder since his team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

Another rumor sweeping the league is that the Trail Blazers will target Jason Kidd as their next coach. This rumor is seemingly everywhere, even the New York Times is reporting it, but the best description (and I think he was first publishing it) was from Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

Kidd — who was previously a head coach in Brooklyn and Milwaukee — is expected to interview for the Boston Celtics’ head coach opening and is expected to be a top target of the Portland Trail Blazers with the anticipation that Terry Stotts will be relieved of his duties after nine seasons with the team, sources said.

It should be noted, Haynes has a strong relationship with Lillard. Draw any connections from that you wish.

Kidd is on the list of people expected to be interviewed by Brad Stevens and the Celtics. Kidd has spent the last two seasons as an assistant under Frank Vogel with the Lakers, but even within that organization there is an expectation he will land a top job soon. Kidd told Marc Spears of The Undefeated that he has grown a lot since his coaching days with the Bucks and Nets.

Stotts is still the coach of the Trail Blazers today (and Kidd, following coaching protocol, has not discussed the job publicly). Stott’s reaction to the rumors? That he is under contract. Here’s the quote, via Royce Young of ESPN.

“My job security? I’m under contract for two more years. I’m sure, just like the end of every year, we’re all evaluated. Players, coaches, management — we’re all evaluated. So we’ll see what happens.”

There is way too much smoke around the Kidd to Trail Blazers rumors for there not to be some fire. How it plays out is the only question.