Report: Phil Handy accepts invitation to be part of Darvin Ham’s Lakers staff

By Jonathan Sherman
Updated: June 7, 2022

On Tuesday, it was reported that newly acquired Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham made some big coaching changes to the team’s staff by letting go of multiple assistants.

Now, another update has been offered on the team’s evolving coaching staff. It sounds like Phil Handy will be staying with the team heading into next season.

Phil Handy, one of the top assistants in the league, has accepted the invitation of new Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham to be a part of his coaching staff, league sources tell @YahooSports.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 7, 2022

Handy has worked as an assistant coach in the NBA for a few different teams, and he has been with the Lakers since 2019. Handy is a three-time NBA champ as an assistant. Clearly, he contributes to winning in major ways behind the scenes.

While there are likely many more moves that Ham still has to make to get his staff in the place he wants it to be, it is great to see that he is making decisive moves so early in his tenure. As L.A.’s offseason progresses, more moves will surely offer greater insight into what Ham’s vision is for the Lakers in the upcoming campaign.