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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The Sacramento Kings, hoping to improve their frontline, have acquired forward J.J. Hickson from the Cleveland Cavaliers for Israeli-born forward Omri Casspi and a conditional future first-round draft pick, the NBA team said on Thursday.

Hickson, 22, averaged 13.8 points and 8.7 rebounds for the Kings last season while starting 66 games. He was a first-round draft pick of the Cavaliers in 2008.

"We believe J.J. will be an important complement to our frontcourt," Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie said in a statement.

Casspi, 23, is the first Israeli-born athlete to play in the NBA, having been drafted by the Kings in 2009.

He averaged 8.6 points and 4.3. rebounds in 71 games, 27 of them starts, last season.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by Frank Pingue)