As expected, Keyon Dooling declined the Magic's two-year, $3.8 million offer. Dooling told John Denton that the offer "wasn't acceptable" and "ridiculous." He also had the following to say:
"We're not talking the same language. I don't know if the door is closed (on a return to the Magic), but we're not talking the same language. But I'm not doing any of the door closing. It's being closed in my face."
A similar situation occurred last summer when the Magic, in their efforts to sign Rashard Lewis, didn't even contact Darko Milicic, their own free agent, when the negotiating period began. Marc Cornstein, Milicic's agent, ripped GM Otis Smith in the press for reneging on his promise to at least negotiate with Milicic, whom he deemed a priority heading into the offseason. Unfortunately, it appears as though alienating free agents has become a pattern in Orlando under Smith's watch.
The meat of Denton's article, though, is the Magic have discussed trading for Memphis Grizzlies point guard Javaris Crittenton. The Magic absolutely need a point guard who can defend, and Crittenton, at 6'05", has enough size to hang with the league's taller signal-callers. If acquired, the Magic would become Crittenton's third NBA team in a little over a year. Drafted by the Lakers in 2007, he was sent to Memphis in the deal that yielded Pau Gasol and propelled the Lakers' run to the NBA Finals.
Denton also mentions that Glenn Schwartzman, the agent who represents Magic alums Darrell Armstrong and Michael Doleac, has contacted the Magic to see if they're interested in signing his clients. Additionally, Brian Schmitz reports the Magic have an ongoing dialog with Dan Tobin, who represents free-agent point guard Jason Williams, a veteran of Stan Van Gundy's offense.
What a day.