The debate leading up to next month’s NBA Draft will be intense. The issue could once again be polarizing. And while the question may not be exciting like last year’s debate over Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, the answer either way will once again greatly affect the direction in which the franchise heads.

Should Portland use its first-round draft pick — likely the 13th selection?

Or should the Blazers trade it away and allow the NBA’s youngest team to start maturing into a championship contender?

On the surface it looks like a black-and-white decision. But just like last year’s debate between Oden and Durant, there are many subtleties to consider that have yet to surface, and General Manager Kevin Pritchard does not expect the final answer to emerge quickly and easily.

“We’re gonna have huge amounts of debate,” Pritchard said. “And that’s what I want. What I don’t want is us going in there and saying, ‘This is what we’re going to do. Let’s get it done.’ ”

Now, there is a 2 percent possibility that the Blazers’ answer will be provided on Tuesday if they can beat the odds in the draft’s lottery for a second straight year and land one of the top two picks. It would then seem likely that Portland would use the selection on Memphis’ Derrick Rose — who could quickly address their point guard questions — or possibly Kansas State forward Michael Beasley.

But the realistic position puts the Blazers on a divided front that Pritchard insists the team will approach with an open mind.

On the surface the decision seems obvious — just as it did with Oden a year ago. The Blazers have no need for another young player. In fact, they hardly have room, with most of next year’s rotation already firmly established, and a hole at point guard that needs to be addressed. With those factors in mind, trading the pick seems like the smart move.

But there are so many factors waiting to play out that will affect the decision. Portland does not yet know where it will draft — only that it has a 96 percent probability of landing the 13th pick. The Blazers do not know what trades will be offered. They have not attended the pre-draft camp or worked out potential prospects.

That leaves several unknowns that could swing their decision — just as Durant’s tantalizing talent held the potential for last year. Perhaps Kevin Love’s availability would alter their strategy. Or perhaps UCLA point guard Russell Westbrook could wow team officials during workouts and make them feel the future could be secured with that pick.

It’s simply too early to tell. And Pritchard is promising to go through what he always refers to as “the process” — a month of intense debating, scouting and analyzing — before deciding on the direction they will take.

“I think what we’ll have to do is explore all the options we have available to us, whether it be through a trade or the draft pick directly,” Pritchard said. “I’ve told our guys that we need to keep our minds open all the way through the process.”

Which puts the Blazers back in a similar position to the one they were in a year ago.

Only the question has changed.

Brian Hendrickson is the Trail Blazers beat writer for The Columbian. Contact him at 360- 735-4528 or brian.hendrickson@columbian.com. Read his Blazers Banter blog at columbiantalk.com/sports/blazers.