Former Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni recently emerged as a candidate to land a position in the coaching staff of newly-hired Brooklyn Nets head tactician Steve Nash. Another notable individual potentially included in the mix is Phil Handy who currently serves as an assistant coach to the 2020 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, according to Frank Isola.

D'Antoni is fresh from a stint with the Rockets whom he led to the postseason in each of the four years that he was at the helm. A record-breaking 2017-2018 season proved to be his team's best accomplishment as they finished in the top seed of the Western Conference with a 65-17 regular-season record. The Rockets eventually reached the Western Conference Finals only to lose in a seven-game thriller against the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

His most recent run with the Texas-based squad ended with a 44-28 overall record after having a season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His team once again made it to the postseason picture and fell short in the Western Conference Semi-Finals after tussling with another would-be champion in the Lakers in five games.

D'Antoni currently holds a 718-555 win-loss record in 1,127 games through 16 seasons as a head tactician in the league. He will aim to impart his veteran coaching experience to a newcomer in Steve Nash if he pushes through on agreeing to join the Nets.

On the other hand, Phil Handy already spent nine years primarily as an assistant coach in the league since being named as a development trainer with the Lakers back in 2011. He has won three championships along the way, namely with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, and most recently, the Lakers.

The Nets' coaching staff are certainly putting themselves in a good position heading into next season if they get to successfully secure the services of these two tenured individuals in the coming weeks.