76ers Reportedly Land New Assistant Coach Who Won 2 NBA Titles with LeBron James

The Philadelphia 76ers are finalizing a deal with veteran coach Phil Handy to serve as an assistant under head coach Nick Nurse, according to Andscape's Marc J. Spears.

Handy will reunite with the newly-signed LeBron James. Handy was among James' assistant coaches with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2015 to 2018, and the Los Angeles Lakers from 2019 to 2024.

Most recently, Handy was head coach of Mist BC in the women's three-on-three Unrivaled basketball league in 2025, and he was an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks last season.

During his two stints as one of James' coaches, the 54-year-old Handy won a pair of NBA championships, doing so with the Cavs in 2016 and the Lakers in 2020.

In between, Handy spent the 2018-19 season as an assistant with the Toronto Raptors, helping coach them to their first and only championship in franchise history.

The head coach during Handy's one-year tenure in Toronto was Nurse, so Handy's arrival in Philly will serve as a reunion for them as well.

It has been a busy offseason for the Sixers, as they reshaped their roster by acquiring five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown for Paul George and draft picks in a trade with the Boston Celtics before signing James in free agency.

James, 41, is preparing to enter his record 24th NBA season, and he chose to sign with the 76ers with an eye toward winning a fifth career title.

The Sixers' projected starting five of James, Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe is arguably the best in the league, plus they have some quality bench pieces in Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade, Dominick Barlow and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and a championship-winning head coach in Nurse.

Handy gives the 76ers even more championship experience, aiding them in their pursuit of their first NBA title since 1983.