3 players that the Los Angeles Lakers shouldn't have let go last summer

The summer of 2018 was one of major change for the Los Angeles Lakers. The arrival of LeBron James ushered in a new era that the organization hoped would reverse their recent struggles, and the Lakers decided to add a new supporting cast alongside their new superstar.

In the weeks following James' acquisition, Magic Johnson and the Lakers added JaVale McGee, Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, and Michael Beasley, all on one-year deals, although to make room, the Lakers made the decision to release a number of notable names.

As we approach the conclusion of the first year of the LeBron James era, the Lakers have made little progress, and in retrospect, some of the departures look like serious errors of judgment on the Lakers' behalf. So, with Luke Walton's team's playoff hopes in tatters, here are three players that the franchise now regret letting go.

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#3 Brook Lopez

Brook Lopez has since found success with the Milwaukee Bucks

Back in the summer of 2017, Brook Lopez was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Lakers (alongside Kyle Kuzma) in exchange for D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov. Lopez, begun the season well, scoring 20 points on his debut, and the 30-year-old was a regular starter for the team all season long, starting 72 times.

Nevertheless, upon the expiration of Lopez's contract, the Lakers chose to bring in JaVale McGee. Lopez himself stated that he was keen to continue with the Lakers, however, he never received a new contract offer, and instead headed to the Milwaukee Bucks.

So far this season, Lopez has been a regular starter, averaging 12.2 points and 4.4 rebounds, while also shooting an impressive 37% from beyond the arc. Few NBA fans would argue that McGee is a better player than Lopez, and ultimately, the Lakers are left to wonder how much better the team would have been this season had they kept Lopez over McGee.

#2 Isaiah Thomas

Isaiah Thomas has recently returned to action having recovered from a long-term injury

After spending the second half of last season with the Lakers, Isaiah Thomas hit the summer market as a free agent. In his brief spell with the Lakers, Thomas had somewhat discovered his 2016 form, averaging 15.6 points and 5.0 assists from the bench, although the Lakers never showed any serious interest in bringing him back for the 18/19 season.

Instead, the team signed Rajon Rondo to a one-year $9 million contract, and Thomas ended up signing a veteran's minimum deal with the Denver Nuggets. While Thomas did not return to the court until last month, the 29-year-old has already shown flashes of his brilliant best, and the point guard is likely to back to full fitness by the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Rondo's performances have been okay, although Lonzo Ball remains the teams clear first choice point guard. Ultimately, the Lakers vastly overpaid for Rondo's services, and the organisation would have been much better off in retaining Thomas and using the salary given to Rondo on other parts of the team.

#1 Julius Randle

Julius Randle has quickly established himself as a key player in New Orleans

During the 2018 off-season, Julius Randle became a restricted free agent, and the Lakers quickly decided to renounce their 2014 first round draft pick. The Lakers made the decision to renounce Randle in order to improve their salary-cap flexibility, although it was still a somewhat surprising decision due to the fact that Randle was coming off of the best season of his career.

During the 17/18 season, the 24-year-old averaged 16.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, and unsurprisingly, the New Orleans Pelicans immediately offered the young center a two-year deal worth $18 million.

Despite the Pelicans struggles this season, Randle has continued to improve, and as the NBA season reaches its conclusion, Randle is averaging 20.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Ultimately, he could have contributed significantly for the Lakers this season, and it looks as though the franchise let a future All-Star walk away last summer.