The history between Carmelo Anthony and the Los Angeles Lakers goes far beyond last season, when the two sides were also linked to each other. When Anthony was an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2014, he met with the Lakers and they reportedly offered him a four-year, $95 million max contract. Of course, Anthony ultimately decided re-sign with the New York Knicks, but the interest was mutual at one point.
The difference between 2014 and 2019, though, is that the Lakers probably could have signed Anthony if they wanted to, and it would have cost them a lot less than $23.