While the Los Angeles Lakers ended up getting eliminated in the first round during the 2020-21 playoffs, they were a very successful team the year prior, and they won the championship during the NBA bubble in Orlando. While a lot of that success is obviously due to the players, the organization and the coaching played a hand in them acquiring a ring as well.
It seems as though other teams may want to acquire people who contributed to that success for their own franchises. A recent report by Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register stated that Lakers’ assistant coach Phil Handy has interviewed for the head coaching opportunity with the Washington Wizards.
Turning 50 next month, Phil Handy figures to be a part of other memorable runs. While he’s made no indication that he is leaving Los Angeles, he does have ambitions to be a head coach someday. Two people with knowledge of the situation told SCNG that Handy interviewed for the Washington Wizards head coaching job last month. More such interviews are likely in the coming years for a coach who has been on a number of winning staffs.
If Phil Handy were to get hired by the Wizards, he’d be able to coach the dynamic duo of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal. Phil Handy is known for helping players improve, and he was a key part of a championship team in Toronto even prior to his stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. Phil Handy could potentially be a good hire for a team in search of something new, and one would understand if he were to leave the Lakers if given a head coaching role.
