Mavericks, Knicks showing interest in coach close with Kyrie Irving, Kobe Bryant

NBA insider Marc Stein has revealed that the Mavericks are showing interest in adding Phil Handy as an assistant coach. Handy has been in and around the NBA for at least the last 15 years, first being listed as a player development coach with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2011 to 2013, where he developed a close relationship with the late Kobe Bryant.

After Los Angeles, he left to become an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he worked with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, becoming close with Irving in particular. He was in Cleveland from 2013 to 2018. He joined the Toronto Raptors staff for the 2018-19 season before going back to the Lakers from 2019 to 2024. As an NBA assistant, he's won three championships in each of his last three stops: the Cavaliers in 2016, the Raptors in 2019, and the Lakers in 2020.

Handy was also the head coach of the Mist BC this year, a women's basketball league, where he coached Breanna Stewart, Rickea Jackson, DiJonai Carrington, and more.

However, the Mavericks aren't the only team showing interest. Stein also reported that the New York Knicks would like to add him to Mike Brown's staff, as the two of them worked together with the Cavaliers and Lakers. There is no salary cap with coaches, so it may come down to how much an organization is willing to pay and what role they'll give him.

Dallas has plenty of connections to Handy, including Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, and Max Christie all playing under him at some points, and coaches Jason Kidd, Frank Vogel, and Mike Penberthy all being with him with the Lakers.