Kidd takes himself out of running for open Trail Blazers job

Despite a strong endorsement from Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, Jason Kidd will not pursue the team's vacant head coach position, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach and Hall of Fame point guard called the Trail Blazers "a first-class organization" that will attract strong candidates, but he "decided not to be one of them."

The 48-year-old expressed discomfort with pursuing the role after Lillard, a fellow Oakland native, publicly supported Kidd's hiring following Terry Stotts' dismissal on Friday.

Portland reportedly hasn't spoken to any potential candidates yet, but the team's list of potential targets includes Los Angeles Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups, former New York Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy, Brooklyn Nets assistant Mike D'Antoni, and Michigan head coach Juwan Howard, sources told Wojnarowski.