Lakers News: LA Assistant Coach Breaks Silence on Joining Phoenix Suns Rumors
If you hadn't heard before, Frank Vogel was hired by the Phoenix Suns this offseason to take over the reigns from Monty Williams following their defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in the West Conference Semifinals.
Almost immediately, the hiring of the former Los Angeles Lakers coach prompted speculation that he could bring longtime Lakers assistant Phil Handy on board to join his staff.
Handy, who's been with Los Angeles for a total of seven seasons over two separate stints, addressed those rumors on Monday and seemed to put them to bed.
Given that Handy left no ambiguity in his answer to Naveen Ganglani, it would seem as if he's more than content with his standing in Los Angeles and that he won't be joining his former colleague in the Valley of the Sun anytime soon.
The fact that he has two years remaining on his contract should be comforting for fans of the purple and gold as well.
Handy has been crucial in a player development role in his time with the Lakers, and given the ascensions of Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura this season, he'll continue to be a key member of the team's staff going forward.
As for the Lakers unlikely impact duo, they are both slated to hit the free agent market soon, but the team is keen to bring both back and given that they're both restricted free agents, the organization holds the leverage to be able to bring both back into the fold.
Concerning Reaves, the Lakers would even be willing to match a "massive" offer sheet for the 25 year old shooting guard, so it seems as if he'll definitely be back barring a shockingly high from another team interested in his services, and there are plenty of franchises interested in his services.
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