Report: Phil Handy set to join 76ers staff as assistant coach under Nick Nurse

The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to add Phil Handy to their coaching staff as an assistant coach, according to ESPN’s Marc Spears as reported by Yahoo Sports. Handy is reportedly leaving the Dallas Mavericks and joining the 76ers, reuniting with Nick Nurse as Philadelphia prepares for a new era of scheming and development under a different leadership style.

For the 76ers, the move matters because assistant coaches often determine the day-to-day details players rely on during training camp, film sessions, and in-game adjustments. Nurse, who has built his reputation in large part on organizing team defense and getting role players on the same page, has now been linked with an assistant who has spent years navigating similar personnel and execution challenges at the NBA level.

The report places Handy’s path through multiple high-profile systems. It notes that Handy previously worked with Nurse during Nurse’s first season with the Toronto Raptors in 2018-19, which suggests the two coaches share at least some common language around both player roles and tactical emphasis.

Handy’s NBA background also includes stops in organizations connected to LeBron James’ prime years. The report says he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2013-2018 and with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2019-2024, overlapping with James during both stretches. While the specific responsibilities are not detailed in the report, the timeline indicates Handy has experience coaching in locker rooms built around elite on-court creation and high expectations for playoff execution.

Within Dallas, Handy’s departure would represent a staff change for a Mavericks team that has continued to refine its offensive patterns and defensive intensity. The report does not outline what Handy handled in Dallas, but adding an established assistant with a track record across multiple championship-caliber programs is typically aimed at tightening both development processes and continuity from preseason through the regular season.

Philadelphia’s next coaching cycle will still hinge on the head coach’s plan, but staff chemistry can become a quiet deciding factor. If Nurse’s previous collaboration with Handy carries through, the 76ers could benefit from a smoother installation of concepts on defense and in transition, areas where coaching consistency tends to show up first in practices and then later in close games.

What to watch next is confirmation from the 76ers once staff assignments are made official. Until then, this remains a reported addition rather than a league-verified announcement, and details such as Handy’s specific focus areas inside the organization, including whether he will oversee development groups, film breakdown, or particular defensive schemes, are still unclear.