The Magic will not let Darrell Armstrong's arrest dissuade them from trying to re-sign him, General Manager John Gabriel said Tuesday.

"Absolutely not," Gabriel said. "We're going to decide to re-sign Darrell Armstrong for the same reasons that other teams have interest in acquiring him."

Those reasons include that the 35-year-old Armstrong still can play and, until Monday, had established himself as one of the team's foremost solid citizens.

Armstrong was arrested early Monday after a physical confrontation with a female police officer outside a downtown nightclub. He was charged with battery of a law-enforcement officer and resisting arrest without violence.

Armstrong became a free agent July 1 and has been working toward getting a new contract. The Magic hope to re-sign him, probably to a two-year deal, but there will be competition for his services. Cleveland, Miami, Washington and Atlanta are among the teams that have expressed interest in Armstrong, who averaged 9.4 points and 3.79 assists last season.