Phil Handy is heading to Philadelphia, bringing championship experience and a familiar connection to both LeBron James and Nick Nurse.
The Philadelphia 76ers finalized a deal on August 21, 2026, to add Handy as a veteran assistant coach on Nurse’s staff. The move comes shortly after James made a blockbuster jump to Philadelphia, setting up another reunion between the longtime collaborators.
Handy and James have now worked together during three different NBA chapters. Handy became one of the most trusted development voices around James, contributing to some of the defining stretches of the superstar’s career. Their partnership has included championship runs, deep playoff pushes and the daily work required to keep an elite player operating at the highest level.
Handy also knows Nurse’s system. He spent the 2018-19 season as an assistant with the Toronto Raptors, helping the team capture an NBA championship during Nurse’s first season as head coach. That shared history gives Philadelphia another layer of familiarity as the organization reshapes its coaching staff around a dramatically different roster.
After leaving the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024, Handy took on a short stint as head coach of Mist BC in the Unrivaled 3-on-3 league. He later joined the Dallas Mavericks as an assistant for the 2025-26 season, adding another stop to a coaching career built around player development and high-level preparation.
Now, Handy steps into a Sixers locker room featuring James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown. The challenge will be immediate. Philadelphia must establish roles, build rhythm and find a workable identity around four major talents who bring different strengths and extensive expectations.
Handy’s relationship with James should help ease the transition, while his experience with Nurse gives the staff another trusted voice in the room. For a team making one of the boldest moves of the offseason, the hire adds continuity to a roster that will need plenty of it.