LeBron James, Kevin Durant send message to new Mavericks coach

The Dallas Mavericks intend to hire Phil Handy as an assistant coach. Handy has extensive NBA experience as both an on-bench assistant and a player development coach. Notably, he contributed to championship wins with three different teams: the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, the 2019 Toronto Raptors, and the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers.

Throughout his career, Handy has coached numerous high-profile players, including LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, Kawhi Leonard, and Anthony Davis. His move to Dallas will reunite him with Irving and Davis.

Handy announced his decision to join the Mavericks via an Instagram post on Thursday. In the post, he stated that his year off was "needed on many levels," allowed him to learn about himself and become a better coach, and expressed gratitude for the support. He also conveyed feeling "honored to be part of a great organization in a great city with great coaches and players," tagging the Mavericks. Many former players, including future Hall of Famers LeBron James (who commented "Congrats my guy!! Welcome back") and Kevin Durant (who commented "Welcome back"), responded positively to the announcement.

Handy was last employed in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2019 to 2024. He primarily took the last year off, during which he served as head coach for Mist BC in the women's Unrivaled League for a brief season lasting about a month. His hiring by the Mavericks marks his full return to the NBA.