Denison readers following the Mavericks' coaching rebuild learned Friday that Phil Handy's Dallas chapter is ending. According to frisco.city, player-development assistant Phil Handy is finalizing a move to the Philadelphia 76ers to work under Nick Nurse, per ESPN's Marc J. Spears as reported by the Dallas Morning News. Handy had been the final Kidd-era holdover on the Dallas staff.
From Kidd's staff to Nurse's
The upshot for Dusty May's first Mavericks training camp is a fully remade bench. Sports Illustrated also stressed Handy's status as the last remaining link to Kidd's coaching group in the building.
The Morning News was explicit that Handy is "finalizing a deal" based on Spears' reporting — not that a press release had been issued by either franchise. frisco.city kept that distinction visible for Denison readers following the May rebuild.
Departures that came first
Earlier departures already cleared most of the prior staff: Frank Vogel, Jay Triano, Popeye Jones, Josh Broghamer, Keith Veney, Eric Hughes and Jordan Sears, according to the Morning News. Handy's reported exit ends any lingering overlap between the old assistants and May's hires.
Handy arrived with relationships to Kyrie Irving and Max Christie and ran much of the team's ball-handling and shooting work during his one season in Dallas, the Morning News reported.
