ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks made a modest improvement in the standings this season, finishing with 29 wins, up from 24 the previous year.John Collins sees a far more dramatic improvement in the Hawks' outlook."Completely different," Collins said Wednesday night after closing the season with a career-high 25 rebounds and 20 points. "I feel we have more of a foundation, more of a solid base than last year. I feel like that's going to give us a lot of comfort going into next year."Rookie point guard Trae Young is the new face of the franchise, but Collins also is part of the foundation . The 6-foot-10 forward, only 21 years old, saw his scoring almost double from 10.5 points as a rookie to 19.5 in his second season while averaging almost 10 rebounds per game.The Hawks' makeover in 2018-19 included the additions of three first-round picks and coach Lloyd Pierce. More youth is coming with two first-round picks in the June 20 NBA draft.Kevin Huerter, a 3-point shooter, joined Young as rookie... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Kevin Huerter used to have Dwyane Wade's sneakers.Now, he's got his jersey.Wade has been exchanging uniform tops with opposing players all season long as part of his "One Last Dance" before he retires — swapping with close friends like LeBron James and Chris Paul, fellow longtime stars such as Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter, and the next wave of greats in Paul George and Bradley Beal.And on Monday night in Miami, Huerter — a rookie guard for Atlanta — got his name added to the list. There they stood, side by side, each wearing the other's No. 3 jersey from Miami's 114-113 win."Obviously, us No. 3s got to stick together," Wade said. "But I've been watching this kid grow from the preseason on to now and I like his game. I think his game can go to another level as well. I always want to be someone that a player like that can count on, can reach out to. That was a cool moment for me."Huerter wasn't expecting the gesture. He was leaving the court and heading to the locker room when... [More]