Steve Nash was recently asked about the current Los Angeles Lakers, with Lonzo Ball and Isaiah Thomas, and whether they have a chance to make the playoffs next season. His response? “Definitely.”

He was also prompted with the question of who he would rather take between Isaiah Thomas and Lonzo Ball. Not wanting to start any controversies, Nash stated “(They are) both great options we’ll see how Isaiah comes back from injury, and how Zo does with his development”, according to TMZ.

The trade of Steve Nash in the summer of 2012 is what started the whole rebuild for the Los Angeles Lakers. In four season with Los Angeles, Nash averaged 11.4 points, 6.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds, well past his prime days.

After the trio of Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Dwight Howard failed to secure any semblance of past glory—with Bryant befalling a career-altering Achilles injury, Nash suffering from back problems, and Howard bolting for the Houston Rockets in free agency—the team had little choice but to stock up on young players through the draft. But the trades for Nash and Howard in 2012, which sent out a bevy of picks, hampered the team’s ability start over properly. The last of those picks, a 2018 first-rounder, will convey in June.

The playoffs are still not entirely out of the question this season, though they are far out of reach, and will require a long Lakers winning streak for the Purple and Gold to even have a chance. To hear Nash tell it, next season should be a different story—that is, if the Lakers decide to bring IT back in free agency.