No one is playing hotter basketball than Austin Reaves.The Los Angeles Lakers guard has carried the Purple and Gold to start the season, with LeBron James sidelined and Luka Doncic recently injured.NEED VIDEO (requested)Reaves has been on a tear to begin the season without Doncic and James in the lineupGettyThe Lakers are 3–2 despite being without two of their biggest stars for most of the early season. Luckily for the Hollywood faithful, Austin Reaves has stepped up and then some, looking every bit like an All-NBA player.Through five games, Reaves is averaging 34.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 10.0 assists per game.He is the first Laker to start a season with five straight 25-point games since the late great Kobe Bryant did it 20 years ago, in 2005.With his torrid start, the conversation has already been fast-forwarded to his free agency in 2026, when he is expected to be an unrestricted free agent.Early projections indicate that Reaves could potentially secure a five-year deal worth $240 million, which would average out to $40 million annually.In an exclusive interview with talkSPORT, NBA insider Marc Stein shared his thoughts on Reaves’ future, what his hot start means, and whether the Lakers can lock him into such a massive extension.“Not even two weeks into the season, his free agency, people are already talking about it,” Stein said. “So he’s helped himself tremendously and he’s going to get, there’s going to be offers and the Lakers are gonna have to deal with that.They’re gonna have to fend off serious interest, but just, I spend a fair bit of time around the Lakers based on my observations. My read would be, I think Austin Reaves wants to stay there…“Going to the Lakers has been a godsend for him. He’s obviously loved in Los Angeles by Laker fans. I would imagine he wants to stay and build this backcourt partnership with Luka Doncic.”The Lakers see Doncic and Reaves as the cornerstones of their franchiseGettyReaves has had to lead the way for the Lakers to begin the yearGettyThe Lakers struck gold by signing Reaves as an undrafted free agent in 2021. After proving his value, they rewarded him with a massive contract following the 2022–23 season.They signed the guard to a four-year, $54 million deal. What was once seen as a smart investment now stands out as one of the best bargains in recent NBA history.Stein noted as much.“The Lakers certainly have that working in their favor, but financially, his last contract was a bargain,” he continued.“And so you understand why Austin Reaves didn’t want to do an extension off that contract because in the open market, he’s going to be able to make much more.“But just my instincts, again, we’re months and months away from this. It’s not even November yet, but my instinct is the Lakers will find a way to retain him. He is a big part of their future and notably know the Lakers were able to keep him out of the Luka Doncic trade. That was kind of a signal that. they still viewed him as part of their future.NBA's GreatestGreatest NBA players in the world right now – from Luka Doncic to Spurs phenom Victor WembanyamaBest players in NBA history to never win a championship – James Harden and Carmelo Anthony to Allen Iverson and Karl Malone10 richest owners in the NBA – family empires, media moguls and investment gurusMichael Jordan’s top 10 scoring games – counting down MJ’s most extraordinary totals“They did not want to surrender Austin Reaves and there have been teams trying to acquire Austin Reaves via trade for a while now. And the Lakers obviously have resisted all that.”Stein discussed the on- and off-court relationship between Doncic and former teammate Jalen Brunson in Dallas and the success they enjoyed together, drawing a comparison to the potential of the Doncic–Reaves pairing.“That’s what the Lakers would love to see,” Stein said. “Can Austin Reaves play that kind of level next to Luka Doncic? For the long term, that’s what’s important to the Lakers.“And the way the season has started, the level that Reaves has found with this Luka injury, but just the bond that these guys are building, that’s what the Lakers are hoping that going forward, okay, these two can really be good together. There will always be.”What happens with Reaves and whether he remains in Los Angeles after this season and into the foreseeable future remains uncertain. Both sides seem eager to make it work, but only time will tell.Stay up to date with the latest from the NBA across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.