NBA Rumors: Multiple Nets Officials Interested In Lakers Assistant Phil Handy
Phil Handy, Lakers
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Head coach Frank Vogel and his staff have done a tremendous job in their first season with the Los Angeles Lakers, leading the franchise to its 17th NBA title.

Assistant Phil Handy has been one of the main pieces of Vogel’s crew, bringing in championship pedigree thanks to his time with the title-winning Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors teams in the past.

It has been reported that new Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash is targeting Handy as a potential addition to his staff. And SNY’s Ian Begley reports that the interest in Handy, who has close ties with the franchise’s star Kyrie Irving, is shared across the Nets franchise.

Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy is also seen as a candidate for Nash’s staff by some people in the Nets organization, SNY sources confirm.

Per ESPN’s Frank Isola, Handy, alongside former Lakers and Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, is being considered as a potential addition to Nash’s staff:

After the Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals, Vogel said Handy had been “an integral part” of the team’s success this year and admitted that if his assistant had an opportunity to leave L.A., he would “typically” be granted permission to do so.

But the Lakers head coach added that, at the time, he was not aware of Brooklyn’s interest in the 49-year-old coach.

Handy worked with Irving and LeBron James during Cleveland’s four straight NBA Finals appearances between 2015 and 2018. He was also part of Nick Nurse’s staff last season when Toronto won the first NBA championship in franchise history before teaming up with Vogel in L.A.

Vogel knew Lakers were capable of winning NBA title

Many basketball analysts did not believe the Lakers had what it took to reclaim the NBA title after a 10-year wait. But Vogel, who was not L.A.’s first choice for head coach, said he realized he had a championship-caliber team on his hands not long after the start of the season.

“Obviously on paper we felt like we had a team that we felt could compete for the championship,” Vogel noted. “We came out of the gate strong and lost the first game, and I think went 17-1 after that and started thinking about we could do something special.

“I think the weekend where we beat Milwaukee and the Clippers was huge for our internal confidence, that we could and were going to reach our goal.”

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!

You May Also Like

Lakers News: LeBron James Focuses On Slow Start And Suns’ Role Players As Reasons For Loss

The Phoenix Suns had little trouble with the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon, winning 123-113 in a game that they controlled…

Lakers Coaching Rumors: Joey Buss, Jesse Buss, Tim Harris, Kurt Rambis Among Group Joining Jeanie Buss, Rob Pelinka For 2nd Meeting With Monty Williams

Since the Los Angeles Lakers cut ties with former head coach Luke Walton, their search for a replacement…

Darvin Ham Talks About Michael Malone’s Comments & Lakers’ Budding Rivalry With Nuggets

Even though the Los Angeles Lakers were swept in the Western Conference Finals by the Denver Nuggets, it was an extremely tense…

Lakers Injury Update: Anthony Davis Will Be Re-Evaluated In 4 Weeks After Suffering Mid-Foot Sprain

Anthony Davis will spend a few weeks on the sidelines again after twisting his ankle in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 106-101 victory over…