The Lakers are rewarding one of basketball's fastest-rising coaches after he led South Bay to the G League's best regular-season record.
The Los Angeles Lakers continue to reshape JJ Redick's coaching staff, promoting Zach Guthrie to assistant coach and head of player development after an impressive season leading the organization's G League affiliate.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported Friday that Guthrie is joining Redick's NBA staff following a successful campaign as head coach of the South Bay Lakers, now Coachella Valley Lakers.
Under Guthrie, South Bay finished with the best regular-season record in the G League, earning Guthrie an opportunity to take the next step in his coaching career.
Rewarding a Rising Coach
Guthrie arrives in L.A. after steadily climbing the coaching ranks over the past decade. Before becoming South Bay's head coach, he spent several seasons as an NBA assistant with the Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards.
His NBA coaching journey began in Utah during the 2016-17 season, where he worked under Quin Snyder before expanding his role as an assistant coach and strategy coach over four seasons. Guthrie later joined the Mavericks in 2020-21 before spending two seasons with the Wizards from 2021-23.
The Lakers hired Guthrie to lead South Bay ahead of the 2024-25 G League season, rising South Bay to one of the best teams in the G League.
JJ Redick at a press conference at the Crypto.com Arena.That success made Guthrie one of the most respected developmental coaches in the G League and an obvious candidate when Redick looked to strengthen his coaching staff.
Key Role in Player Development
Beyond serving as an assistant coach, Guthrie will also oversee player development, an increasingly important position as the Lakers continue building around a younger core.
L.A. has invested heavily in developing recent draft picks and young contributors, including Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero, Bronny James and Dalton Knecht---maybe add Arthur Maluma to that list as well with a hot summer thus far.
The organization also has multiple two-way players expected to split time between the NBA and G League throughout the season.
JJ Redick reacts during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Guthrie's familiarity with South Bay's system should help create a smoother transition for those players moving between both levels while maintaining continuity in the team's offensive and defensive philosophies.
His promotion also reflects Redick's emphasis on player development after his first season as head coach. Rather than relying solely on veteran experience, the Lakers continue adding coaches with strong teaching backgrounds and proven records of developing talent.
As training camp approaches, Guthrie's responsibilities will extend beyond the practice floor. His experience building young players in the G League could play a significant role in helping L.A.'s next wave of talent contribute alongside established veterans as the franchise looks to remain among the Western Conference contenders.
