Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving has a close bond with Phil Handy, dating back to their time as a player-coach duo on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
That bond was renewed this time last year when Handy joined the Mavericks, but amid the team's many organizational moves after the season, Handy is now on his way to join the Philadelphia 76ers.
He is the last member of now-dismissed head coach Jason Kidd's staff to leave Dallas.
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Phil Handy's connections to the Mavs roster were significant, despite a poor season
Though he was in Dallas for just one season, in which the Mavericks underperformed to a record of 26-56 and Irving missed the entire year with injury, Handy was a vital part of the team's practices and player development, specifically on guards.
Handy also came with prior connections to Max Christie and Kidd from his stint with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2019 to 2024, which included an NBA championship with Kidd and former Mav Anthony Davis in 2020.
The move to Philadelphia brings another reunion for Handy. He is now back with head coach Nick Nurse and superstar veteran LeBron James, whom he worked with during the Cavs' Eastern Conference dominance in the 2010s and during that title run in the COVID bubble.
The Sixers will be one of the East's top contenders as James joins forces with former Boston Celtics Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, and second-year sensation VJ Edgecombe.
Nurse will enter his fourth season as head coach of the 76ers, and this year's roster is shaping up to be his most talented yet, though the team's health over the course of a long season will be worth monitoring.
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Dusty May fills out a brand new sideline in Dallas
The Mavs are welcoming new head coach Dusty May, who rises into the NBA for the first time after most recently guiding the Michigan Wolverines to a national championship in his second season at the helm.
The rest of Kidd's staff in Dallas – Frank Vogel, Jay Triano, Popeye Jones, Josh Broghamer, Keith Veney, Eric Hughes and Jordan Sears – have all departed the team. Broghamer was hired as an assistant on former Kidd partner Sean Sweeney's new staff with the Orlando Magic.
With training camp about a month away, May has built up his sideline with assistant coaches Willie Green, Joe Boylan, Garrett Temple, Drew Williamson and Mody Maor.
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"Ky is an unbelievable talent," Handy once said of Irving. "That dude is probably the most naturally talented dude I’ve ever been around…"
"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, without Handy by his side, will look to channel that wisdom into the 2026-27 campaign – his 15th season – as he returns from his torn ACL suffered in March 2025.
