Phil Handy Gets an Extension, Darvin Ham Generates More Confidence, and No Rasheed Wallace?

News around the Lakers has been dominated by potential trades, whether for Kyrie Irving or Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. Tuesday, the rumor mill was quiet, giving everyone a break. At least for a day. And we learned the Lakers made a low key important move, as ESPN's Marc Spears reported a contract extension for assistant coach Phil Handy. As one of the most respected assistants in the game, with a strong background in player development, the franchise (and new head coach Darvin Ham) need his skill set in a big way. A contract extension may not keep him here forever - there is always chatter Handy could end up a head coach - but it helps. Handy's ability as a communicator becomes important as Ham moves to a different role than he has traditionally played. Darvin won't stop talking with players, and won't stop dealing with them straight, but there's a difference between being head coach and an assistant when it comes to the freedom players often feel to talk about issues they might have. Having Phil Handy around fills that space in a high end way. Meanwhile, one guy who won't be on the staff? Rasheed Wallace, apparently. Despite a summer of rumors, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports the Lakers won't be adding him to Ham's coaching group. From there, we learned more about Ham when he was a guest on the All the Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. Great insight into Ham's attention to detail when it comes to people and culture. And more context into why he views this job as a challenge, and feels confident the pressure won't beat him down. He knows it's there, obviously, but doesn't seem likely to be ruled by it. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: Phil Handy gets an extension. SEGMENT 2: Why Phil matters, especially given Ham's shift from lead assistant to head man. SEGMENT 3: More evidence Ham has the mental makeup to do this job well. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices