9. Julius Randle, New York Knicks
The Los Angeles Lakers selected Julius Randle with the No. 7 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft. 10 years later, the former high-profile high school recruit turned Kentucky Wildcats star has successfully realized his potential as an arguable franchise player.
Now a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selectee, Randle is as responsible as anyone for the revival of the New York Knicks.
Randle's time with the Lakers was seemingly cursed. He broke his right tibia in his first career regular season game, and despite averaging a double-double in a second year that was effectively his rookie campaign, he never seemed to fit into former head coach Luke Walton's plans.
Despite improving his defense and finishing in the top five in voting for the Most Improved Player award in 2017-18, the Lakers renounced their rights to Randle and let him walk in free agency.
Three years later, Randle was named the winner of the Most Improved Player award after leading the Knicks to their first playoff appearance in eight seasons. Jalen Brunson has since gone on to become the face of the franchise, but it was Randle who arrived first and made New York competitive again.
It's impossible to know what type of player Randle could've become in Los Angeles, but this is a shining example of a player the organization gave up on too soon—or, more accurately, before his career truly began.