If we can't draft the franchise player ourselves, then just follow the Indiana model.
If you think about it, Pacers really turned their franchise player Paul George into their next franchise player Haliburton. With the fringe allstar Sabonis transitioning in between. Lauri is similar to Sabonis in terms of caliber. A good player but not good enough. Indiana could've held onto Sabonis forever and stayed a mediocre team for the next 4 to 5 years. Instead they stayed aggressive and pulled the trigger when they saw an opportunity.
Not sure who the next "Haliburton" is. Maybe Harper cuz he clearly doesn't fit this Spurs roster. Or Whitmore who's clearly talented and a walking bucket but is massively underappreciated by his coaching staff in Houston. But rest assured there always will be the next Harden(Thunder version), SGA, Haliburton, or whichever young player with MVP/superstar potential who somehow finds himself on the trade market. And Lauri will be the key for us to get to this guy. We just have to be ready when it comes.