76ers Hire Assistant Coach Handy, Multiple Title Winner with James

The Philadelphia 76ers are finalizing a deal to hire veteran assistant coach Phil Handy, reuniting him with head coach Nick Nurse and star player LeBron James. The move, reported on August 21, 2026, adds significant championship pedigree to a 76ers team constructed to contend for a title this season. Handy joins the staff after spending the previous season as an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks.

Handy’s hiring brings together several established relationships. He and Nurse previously worked together during the 2018-19 season in Toronto, where Handy was an assistant and Nurse was the head coach, resulting in the Raptors’ first NBA championship. Handy also shares a long history with James, having served as an assistant coach with him for multiple stints. He was part of the Cleveland Cavaliers staff from 2015 to 2018, including the 2016 championship team, and later rejoined James with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2019 to 2024, winning another title in 2020. This marks the third team where Handy will work alongside James.

For the Mavericks, Handy’s departure is part of a broader offseason restructuring. The team had already parted ways with former head coach Jason Kidd earlier in...