Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard named Los Angeles Lakers assistant Jason Kidd as his preferred choice to replace Terry Stotts as the team's head coach.

"Jason Kidd is the guy I want," Lillard told Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes.

Stotts and the Blazers mutually agreed to part ways Friday, one day after Portland was eliminated in the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs by the Denver Nuggets.

Jason Quick and Shams Charania of The Athletic reported it's "believed" the Blazers will "ultimately decide" between Kidd and Los Angeles Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups, two former All-Star point guards.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski listed Jeff Van Gundy, Mike D'Antoni and Juwan Howard among the other candidates for the vacancy.

Stotts guided Portland to a 402-318 regular-season record and eight playoff appearances across nine seasons in charge. A 22-40 postseason mark combined with the team's inability to build off a trip to the 2019 Western Conference Finals likely led to his departure. The Blazers were eliminated in the first round in four of the past five seasons.

"I love Terry," Lillard told The Athletic. "And I will miss him as my coach."

The Blazers couldn't afford to lose any more time while the core of Lillard, 30, and CJ McCollum, 29, is in place and playing at a high level, though. A coaching change and perhaps one marquee addition during the offseason could help spark a deeper playoff run next year.

Kidd was a 10-time All-Star and won a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 during his playing career. He previously served as a head coach with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, posting a 183-190 record with three playoff appearances in five years between those two stops.

Haynes noted Lillard and Kidd have a "great relationship," and sources told Yahoo Sports the face of the Portland franchise "genuinely respects Kidd's basketball acumen and knowledge of the game and believes he can help take his game and the team to the next level."

The 48-year-old Kidd has been a member of the Lakers' coaching staff since 2019 and helped the team capture the 2020 NBA championship.

L.A. sources told Haynes that Kidd has "been a phenomenal presence in the organization from his innovative ideas to his communicating skills and his ability to rally the troops."

The endorsement from Lillard makes him the immediate favorite to take over the Blazers' staff.