Overview
- Multiple outlets, citing Marc J. Spears and confirmed by The Athletic, reported Friday that Phil Handy is finalizing a deal to join Nick Nurse’s 76ers coaching staff as an assistant.
- Handy is a three-time NBA champion and a veteran development coach known for working with LeBron James in Cleveland and Los Angeles and for a prior season with Nurse in Toronto.
- The team views Handy as a specialist for perimeter players, with coaching methods focused on footwork, ballhandling and finishing that could accelerate Tyrese Maxey’s and VJ Edgecombe’s growth.
- Handy’s move follows broader staff turnover in Dallas after the Mavericks changed coaches this offseason and removes a longtime development voice from that franchise.
- Handy’s hiring adds experienced continuity to a roster that now includes James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown and signals the 76ers’ aim to build a cohesive, title-ready unit before the 2026–27 season.