Steve Wyche of the Washington Post reports that Charles Oakley may have finally found a home. Oakley worked out for the Wizards on Thursday and met with officials about signing a contract, most likely for one year, a source with knowledge of the situation said.

The Wizards are looking to add experience to their relatively young crop of big men and Oakley, a 17-year veteran known for his rugged play, rebounding prowess and critical tongue, might be their man. Oakley may take a few days to weigh his options before deciding where to sign. He played in just 57 games last season with the Bulls because of injuries and the team's desire to use its younger players. Oakley has averaged 10 points and 9.8 rebounds in his career.

The Orlando Magic signed two free agents Monday in guards Omar Cook and Corey Benjamin, General Manager John Gabriel announced.

Cook (6'1", 190) played in 35 games last season with Fayetteville of the National Basketball Development League, averaging 12.2 points, 7.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.51 steals a game. He led the NBDL in assists, ranked seventh in steals and ninth in three-point field goal percentage (41-107, .383).

Cook was named to the 2001-02 All-NBDL Second Team. He also set a league record for most assists in a game, dishing out 19 on Feb. 8 vs. North Charleston.

The Magic originally selected Cook in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft. The team traded Cook?s rights to Denver for a future first-round draft pick.

Benjamin (6'6", 205) spent the 2001-02 season in Italy with S.S. Sutor Montegranaro and in the ABA with the Southern California Surf. He was originally selected in the first round (28th overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft by Chicago.

Benjamin has appeared in 144 NBA regular season games during his career, all with the Bulls, averaging 5.5 points and 1.6 rebounds a game.

The Associated Press reports that investigators have found what appears to be blood traces on Bison Dele?s 55-foot catamaran. Authorities found traces of the substance on the inside and the outside of the vessel, said Michel Marotte, Tahiti's chief prosecutor. The findings must be verified in a laboratory "but it does seem to be blood traces,'' he told The Associated Press on Friday.

Dele's brother, Miles Dabord who is also known as Kevin Williams, was in a coma and in critical condition at a hospital in Chula Vista. He was found unconscious in Mexico last week. The FBI arrested him Thursday on a fraud charge after learning his identity. Dabord allegedly used his brother's former name, Brian Williams, while trying to buy $152,000 in gold in Phoenix earlier this month.

Dabord's mother, Patricia Phillips, told the Los Angeles Times she fears her son may have tried to commit suicide in a fit of guilt, somehow believing he was responsible for his brother's disappearance. On Friday, she stood at his bedside in a San Diego hospital. "I wanted to hug him, to stroke his face, to hold his hand,'' she said.

In a Sept. 13 telephone call, Phillips said Dabord sounded groggy and spoke of committing suicide. He told her he hadn't killed his brother and that he wanted her to know this before ending his life, she said.

Marotte said there is reason to think that Dele, his 30-year-old girlfriend Serena Karlan and Bertrand Saldo, the captain of Dele's sailboat, were killed July 6 or 7 during a layover in Tahiti. Investigators are working on the suspicion that a single person committed the killings, and "that is the brother of the victim, Kevin Williams.''

"We presume that the bodies of these people must be in the sea, the ocean, and will probably never be found,'' said Marotte, who speculated that the bodies could have been weighted down to sink them. "But we're still looking.''

The LA Times adds that Dabord may not live to tell his side of the story. Law enforcement officials admitted Saturday that they might never know exactly what happened to a missing former NBA player and two others who are presumed dead in the waters of the South Pacific.

Dabord is "dead, living only through artificial means," his mother said. Patricia Phillips said doctors have discovered severe damage to her son's brain--injuries they have told her are the result of an insulin overdose and Dabord not taking his asthma medication.

The Associated Press reports: Miles Dabord, wanted by the FBI in connection with the disappearance of his brother and former NBA player Bison Dele, was under arrest but comatose in a San Diego-area hospital Thursday night.
Dabord was checked into the hospital by an unidentified person as a "John Doe," but the Chula Vista police department ran his fingerprints and his identity was discovered. Chula Vista is a small city south of San Diego.

Meanwhile, divers in Tahiti searched waters off the South Pacific island of Moorea as part of their investigation into the disappearance of Dele, police officials said.

But the divers in the Maharepa lagoon, on the island's northern coast, where Dele and his girlfriend, Serena Karlan, spent time before they vanished July 8, failed to find any clues Wednesday, the officials said. Bertrand Saldo, a French skipper sailing with the couple, also is missing.

Dele, who used to be called Brian Williams, was a member of the Chicago Bulls' 1997 NBA championship team.

Citing police records, The Washington Post reported that Dele's mother told police that Dabord is "capable of extremely violent behavior" and has had problems with alcohol and illegal drugs.

According to the Post report, Patricia Phillips, Dele's mother, told investigators for the Phoenix Police Department early this month that she was concerned for Dele and that Dabord's behavior becomes more aggressive when he takes steroids to treat chronic asthma.

Dabord was arrested Thursday by the FBI on a fugitive warrant out of Phoenix but remains hospitalized. According to William Gore of the San Diego FBI office, the federal fugitive charge will be dismissed on Friday and Dabord will remain in custody while he awaits extradition to Phoenix.

Dabord, also known as Kevin Williams, was originally charged by the Phoenix police with fraud after he was allegedly discovered using his brother's identification. Dele was previously know as Brian Williams. The federal warrant is on a charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Dabord is also wanted for questioning in the disappearance of his brother and two others.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the Bulls have added some depth to their backcourt. Chicago signed veteran point guards Rick Brunson and Doug Overton on Wednesday. Terms were not disclosed, but it is assumed that both were signed to minimum salary contracts.

Overton has played 10 NBA seasons with Washington, Denver, Philadelphia, Orlando, New Jersey, Boston, Charlotte and the Clippers. Last season, he played in just 18 games for the Clippers. For his career, the 6-foot-3 guard has averaged 4.6 points per game and 2.1 assists per game.

Brunson has played for five years with Portland, New York and Boston. The 6-foot-4 guard appeared in 59 games for the Trail Blazers last year. He averaged 2.4 points per game and 1.8 assists per game during his career.

Prosecutors in Tahiti made the decision to open a murder investigation into the disappearance of former NBA player Bison Dele based on comments from the former girlfriend of Dele's older brother, the Los Angeles Times has reported.

The police official told the newspaper that Erica Weise told the FBI that Dele's older brother, Miles Dabord, informed her in a telephone conversation of a struggle aboard Dele's boat, the Hakuna Matata, that resulted in the deaths of Dele, his girlfriend, Serena Karlan, and the boat's captain, Bertrand Saldo.

Dabord reportedly deflected blame from himself, claiming during the phone call that the fight was started by Dele, the Times reported.

The call was reported to the FBI and the Sonoma County, Calif., Sheriff's Office. Sonoma County deputies confirmed they had received a phone call and forwarded the information to the FBI.

On Tuesday, Tahitian officials upgraded the investigation from a preliminary inquiry to a premeditated murder investigation. A premeditated murder investigation is the most serious level of any homicide charge under French law, the chief prosecutor for the territory of French Polynesia, Michel Marotte, told the Rocky Mountain News.

Dele, Karlan and Saldo have been missing since they left Papeete, Tahiti's capital city, aboard Dele's boat July 4. The boat was later found -- repainted and renamed -- in a private slip on Tahiti. Witnesses have said Dabord was seen docking the empty boat on July 15. He left the island two days later.

Dabord is wanted on two arrest warrants issued in connection with his allegedly posing as his brother to buy more than $150,000 in gold coins in Phoenix. Dabord is still at large and was last spotted in Tijuana, Mexico.

Meanwhile, an international team of five investigators continued their examination of the boat. Investigators wearing masks and dressed in white head-to-toe suits searched the boat for 90 minutes Tuesday.

"No evidence of anything unusual was discovered on their initial survey of the boat," Marotte told the Rocky Mountain News. "But it's still possible that they could find something in their more detailed investigation as they clean up the boat."

A cursory search conducted earlier by French authorities found no blood stains or other signs of foul play, police officials have said.

Brian D. Crecente of the Rocky Morning News reports that the Bison Dele missing person investigation is about to become a murder investigation. Tahitian officials now believe Dele and two others are dead.

"I think they are dead," Michel Marotte, chief prosecutor for the French territory, told the Rocky Mountain News on Sunday. "We consider that this could be a murder investigation." An arrest warrant has been issued against Miles Dabord, Dele?s brother. Dabord is being sought by the FBI for flight from justice. He was being investigated for attempting to buy gold coins under the name Brian Williams, Dele?s former name and the identity he uses in his financial records.

Dabord left New Zealand on a sailboat with Dele, Dele's girlfriend, Serena Karlan of Boulder, and captain Bertrand Saldo of France on May 2. A month and a half later the 55-foot catamaran, the Hakuna Matata, sailed into the French Polynesian Islands. The boat left again on July 4, listing only Dele, Karlan and Saldo as passengers, and it was missing until it was found empty last week.

The boat, repainted and renamed the Arabella, was discovered Thursday morning docked in a private slip in the hamlet of Taravao, about 40 miles from Tahiti's capital city of Papeete, Marotte said. According to the Los Angeles Times, Dabord signed the registration slip at the dock July 15 under an alias. He left Tahiti two days later.

Forensic experts from France and the Unites States met with Marotte and other Tahitian authorities Sunday to discuss the case. Marotte said no one had yet gone into the boat to inspect it. "Nothing on the exterior of the boat shows signs of a violent act," he said Sunday.

Law enforcement officials are concentrating their search for Dabord in Mexico. Mexican police, under the direction of the FBI, located a hotel room in Tijuana on Thursday with personal items belonging to Dabord.

Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald reports that the Bulls will try to sign another guard to fill the roster spot of the injured Roger Mason.

The Bulls have contacted free agent Damon Jones, and his agent is hoping general manager Jerry Krause calls back. The 6-foot-3 Jones has played for six teams in four NBA seasons. He averaged 5.1 points in 57 games for Detroit last year.

"Realistically, I think (Jones) is the best point guard left in free agency, along with Rod Strickland," said Lamar Holt, Jones' agent. "I'd like to talk to Jerry again. It's a good situation for my guy, who's been in the league four years, to help their young guys."

When Mason was injured last week, Krause was interested in bringing back Kevin Ollie, who played 52 games for the Bulls a year ago before being traded to Indiana. But Ollie had already agreed to terms with Milwaukee, where he will be the Bucks' No. 2 point guard and earn more than the minimum salary.

Other players available include the 36-year old Tim Hardaway, 30-year old journeyman Rick Brunson, 10-year vet John Crotty and Eddie Gill, who has played 31 NBA games in two seasons. Having used their cap room and exceptions, the Bulls can only offer the minimum salary.

K.C. Johnson and Todd Lighty report that the Bison dele disappearance case has taken a strange turn. The FBI has joined the investigation and they are looking for Dele's brother, Kevin Williams for questioning.

Kevin Williams was questioned by Phoenix Police last week after he allegedly tried to buy about $150,000 in gold coins while posing as Dele. He has not been seen since, but his mother, Patricia Phillips, said she had received anguished calls from him Tuesday and Wednesday.

In those calls, Phillips told the Tribune, "[Kevin] said, 'Mom, I just need you to believe me. I wouldn't hurt my brother. I need to know that you love me before I die. I can't go to prison. You know my personality is the type that can't survive in prison. Nobody will believe my story.'"

Dele, his girlfriend, Serena Karlan and Bertrand Saldo, the captain of Dele's 55-foot catamaran were sailing from Tahiti to Hawaii two months ago when the vessel disappeared. "We're involved in this case as a missing persons investigation," FBI spokesman Andrew Black said. "We're interested in the disappearance of those three people. "One of the individuals we are actively looking to speak with is Kevin Eugene Williams."

Dele has not been heard from since July 8th. The mystery deepened a month later when a man who identified himself as Brian Williams tried to buy a quantity of 1-ounce gold coins from Certified Mint, a precious metal and investment house in Phoenix. Dele, who had played at the University of Arizona as Brian Williams, apparently kept his financial records, such as banking accounts, in that name.

After learning that the bank was investigating whether the check for the coins was fraudulent, arrangements were made to stake out Certified Mint. When the man arrived to pick up the coins, he was taken into custody by the Phoenix Police.

Detectives questioned the man for several hours. But they released him, a department spokesman said, because they did not have enough evidence to bring charges, even though the man had three credit cards and a passport issued in Brian Williams' name.

Phillips said authorities told her the FBI believes Kevin Williams had fled to Mexico.

Last year it was Jamal Crawford who went down injured while working out at Chicago's Hoops the Gym, so why should this year be any different?  Mike McGraw, acting off an alert from RealGM Affiliate site Bulls4Ever.com staff, confirmed that second round point guard Roger Mason Jr. has in fact injured his shoulder and may miss up to 4-6 months of action.  Victor Bellan, who provides an inside look into the working of the Bulls for Bulls4Ever.com, reported the rumor on the 6th September before staff contacted McGraw late yesterday for confirmation.