Lakers have made Anthony Davis ‘significant part’ of coaching search

The Lakers are reportedly making Anthony Davis part of the process of finding a new head coach.

The NBA Finals begin this week, but the Lakers are already knee-deep in their offseason, searching for their next head coach.

They reportedly had an in-person interview with James Borrego, conversations with JJ Redick and now UConn’s James Hurley seems to be the No. 1 candidate for the job.

For years, the Lakers have been LeBron James’ team and he’s been, to some degree, involved in all decisions regarding the organization. However, as his career finally enters its twilight, it appears Anthony Davis is taking on the mantle not just on the court but off of it.

As Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on Thursday, AD has had a big role in the Lakers’ decision.

“The Lakers have been committed to making All-NBA forward Anthony Davis a significant part of the conversation on the next head coach and want to make sure he’s aligned with how a new coach plans to feature him on offense and defense, sources said.”

It appears the King is taking a step back and the Lakers are taking his advice and hiring a head coach for Davis, not for him. This makes sense, given that the next coach for the Lakers will likely sign a contract far longer than whatever is left of LeBron's career as a Laker or as a professional athlete.

Even if James has multiple years left in the tank, it's clear Davis is not just the future but the present. He had his best regular season as a Laker, was named an All-Star and made the All-NBA Second Team.

This team will only go as far as Davis can take them, so it's in the Lakers' best interest to ensure he is on board with the franchise's vision and approves of the coach hiring process.

Good interviewing doesn't necessarily lead to the right hire, but the methods appear sound from Rob Pelinka and company.

Before, this would mean making sure James was happy with every decision happening in Los Angeles. Now, it looks like this is AD’s team and he’s the star you have to make sure is on board with every important move moving forward.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.