Phil Handy’s time in Dallas is over, and the veteran development coach is headed to Philadelphia to join the 76ers.
Handy spent just one season with the Mavericks, but the move still matters. He had a strong working relationship with Kyrie Irving, built during their years together with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and that connection carried over when Handy landed in Dallas last year. Now, after a season in which the Mavericks stumbled to a 26-56 record and Irving missed the entire year with injury, Handy is moving on as part of the broader shakeup around the organization.
He is the final member of former head coach Jason Kidd’s staff to exit Dallas.
Even in a rough year, Handy was a meaningful voice in the Mavericks’ day-to-day work, especially in practices and in the development of guards. His ties inside the roster ran deeper than Irving, too. He also had previous connections to Max Christie and Kidd from his time with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2019 to 2024, a stretch that included an NBA championship in 2020 with Kidd and former Maverick Anthony Davis.
Philadelphia gives Handy another familiar setup. He is reuniting with head coach Nick Nurse and with LeBron James, whom he coached alongside during the Cavaliers’ run of Eastern Conference dominance in the 2010s and again during the title run in the COVID bubble.
The 76ers are shaping up as one of the East’s strongest contenders, with James joining former Boston Celtics Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, and second-year standout VJ Edgecombe. Nurse is entering his fourth season in charge, and this group looks like his most talented roster yet, though the team’s health across a long season will be something to watch.
Dallas, meanwhile, is moving forward with a completely rebuilt sideline under new head coach Dusty May. May is making his NBA debut after leading Michigan to a national championship in his second season there.
The rest of Kidd’s former assistants - Frank Vogel, Jay Triano, Popeye Jones, Josh Broghamer, Keith Veney, Eric Hughes and Jordan Sears - are all gone as well. Broghamer has already landed on former Kidd partner Sean Sweeney’s new staff with the Orlando Magic.
With training camp about a month away, May has assembled his own group of assistants: Willie Green, Joe Boylan, Garrett Temple, Drew Williamson and Mody Maor.
Handy also shared what he saw as the key to unlocking Irving’s game. “He’s tremendously gifted and the challenge for me [while coaching him] was to help Kyrie just understand how important the work was ... helping Kyrie understand that if you’re willing to put in the work and really focus on some things to help you with your ball-handling, your footwork, and your balance, you’re going to take your game to a whole other area that you don’t even think is possible,” Handy added.
Irving will head into the 2026-27 campaign - his 15th season - without Handy by his side as he returns from the torn ACL he suffered in March 2025.
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Fanatics Collect is now set to showcase the card in its September Premier Auction from September 10 to 24, where the final price should help define just how high the ceiling is for Flagg memorabilia. For Dallas, it is another reminder of how quickly Flaggs arrival has become a league-wide storyline, with his cards drawing the kind of buzz that usually comes only after a player has already built a rsum. In this case, the market gets the first real say. [Read more 🡒]