It’s a safe bet NBA teams are going to keep talking about gambling.

The Nuggets had already conducted their league-mandated anti-gambling training session ahead of Wednesday’s win over the Pelicans, but the conversation will continue in the wake of last week’s wide-ranging federal investigation that led to the arrest of one active NBA coach, Denver icon Chauncey Billups, one active player and one former player and assistant coach.

“The biggest thing for us is just to have normal conversations in the locker room with the guys and keep bringing it up to them,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said Wednesday.

“They can go to a class session with the NBA, but coming from us and as a community of players and coaches, (it’s) just making sure that we’re on the same page about it and reminding guys a very small thing can turn into a very big thing.”

There are a variety of lessons to be learned from last week’s developments. Billups, who was coaching the Trail Blazers prior to his arrest, allegedly got caught up with rigged poker games. Denver plays at Portland on Friday.

Billups wasn’t the one doing the fixing, but he’s suspected of using his notoriety to lure wealthy gamblers into games that were tainted by altered card-shuffling machines, X-ray tables and marked cards that were only visible to those wearing special eyewear. Tiago Splitter is serving as Portland’s interim coach during Billups’ unpaid leave.

Heat guard Terry Rozier is alleged to have left games early to ensure the “unders” hit on his prop bets. It’s similar to the scheme that led to Jontay Porter’s lifetime ban from the NBA. Both Rozier and Billups will not be paid while on leave from their respective positions, according to an ESPN report Wednesday.

The case surrounding Damon Jones highlights Adelman’s point about small things becoming a bigger deal. Jones played for the Cavaliers from 2005-08 and returned to Cleveland as an assistant coach from 2016-18. He’s accused of using his personal relationship with LeBron James to acquire privileged information that he sold to bettors. James is not believed to be privy to Jones’s scheme.

Players, coaches and other employees are permitted to bet on sports with the exception of events under the NBA’s umbrella. That includes the WNBA, G League, Summer League and even the association’s e-sports competition. NBA players can bet on other games wherever sports betting is legal. They can also engage in casino gambling wherever it’s permitted.

“It’s pretty clear,” Aaron Gordon said after Wednesday’s win.

As clear as the rules might be, the NBA has an unfortunate history with gambling. It dates back to Sol Levy, a referee from 1948-51, who faced multiple counts of fixing games. Former official Tim Donaghy admitted to betting on games he officiated from 2003 to 2007 before he resigned and served an 11-month stint in a federal prison camp after being investigated by the FBI. A dispute centered around a gambling debt from a card game played on a team plane resulted in former teammates Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton bringing guns into the locker room in 2009. They were both suspended for the remainder of the season. Porter, the older brother of former Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., was the most recent instance before last week’s arrests.

“We’ve had our talks. They’ve come in and shown us the video,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “I think it’s just continuous education in regards to gambling.”

Those who miss the association’s anti-gambling training without a “reasonable excuse” are subject to a $100,000 fine. That’s far more than the penalty imposed on those who skip the media ($20,000) or business of basketball ($5,000) training sessions.

Back in 2018, the NBA and other sports leagues were opposed to the legalization of sports gambling on a state-to-state basis. The floodgates are open now, with many teams receiving sponsorships from some of the larger sportsbooks. Last week’s arrests show just how quickly things have changed.

“I only know what you guys know. I can only educate myself,” Adelman said. “Then, in a leadership position, all I can do is educate the people around me.”