NBA

Report: Los Angeles Lakers hiring Raptors' Phil Handy as an assistant coach

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The Los Angeles Lakers add another key piece to their coaching staff with former Toronto Raptors assistant Phil Handy set to join the LA bench for next season, according to Marc Spears of The Undefeated.

Handy spent last season with the Raptors after five years with the Cleveland Cavaliers, bringing some familiarity for LeBron James after working with him during their four-straight trips to the NBA Finals. 

The 47-year-old specialises in player development, working closely with Kyrie Irving early in his career during his time with Cleveland and most recently overseeing Pascal's Siakam's meteoric rise to win Most Improved Player of the Year with the Raptors in 2018/19.

Handy, who previously worked on the Lakers staff from 2011-2013 is widely regarded as one of the best in the business and will be a huge asset for the Lakers younger players in Kyle Kuzma, Quinn Cook, Alex Caruso and second-round pick Talen Horton-Tucker.

 

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Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor for The Sporting News.