Anthony Davis ‘finally taking the torch from LeBron,’ will have more say in Lakers decisions

Whether in Cleveland, Miami – Cleveland again – or with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James has always had significant input on major franchise decisions, from head coaching changes to trades and free agent acquisitions. LA is reportedly desperate to help The King end his career in Hollywood, but the franchise isn’t ignoring that Anthony Davis is the future.

LeBron will turn 40 next season and has already said he’s nearing the end of his NBA career. Davis, meanwhile – despite his injury history – is 31 years old and better equipped to take the lead for one of the league’s most storied franchises.

The Lakers are in flux right now as they search for a new head coach after firing Darvin Ham and some way to upgrade the roster after losing to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of this year’s playoffs. And AD will have a significant amount of input in what comes next.

Anthony Davis ready to pass LeBron, have more sway in LA

Per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers may be giving their 31-year-old superstar as much, if not more, power than their 40-year-old superstar to help make significant franchise decisions:

Of course LeBron James’s opinion will be taken into consideration (in the head coaching search) here, but not just LeBron James – Anthony Davis as well, I’m told. The (Lakers) look at Anthony Davis as finally taking the torch from LeBron in the last season-and-a-half.

Joined SVP to discuss the direction the Lakers coaching search appears to be heading in, in terms of the initial concept, and the factor LeBron and AD have in the search. pic.twitter.com/QUCR6AWZ4r

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 4, 2024

Davis had his healthiest and most impactful year with the Lakers since the team’s bubble championship run in 2019-20. He played in a career-high 76 games, averaging 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.5 stocks (steals plus blocks) while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor in 35.5 minutes per game. He hadn’t averaged that many minutes since 2017-18 when he played for the New Orleans Pelicans.

James is in the twilight of his career, meaning that if he can manage to stay healthy again – admittedly a big if – the Lakers will go as far as Davis can take them for the next five-plus seasons.

Thank you for reading The Dunk Central. Please follow us on Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite teams and players. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing NBA outlets!