El Segundo – The Los Angeles Lakers will introduce former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown as their new coach Tuesday.

Brown, 41, coached the Cavaliers for five seasons before being fired following the 2009-2010 season. He spent the past year as an NBA studio analyst for ESPN.

Brown succeeds Phil Jackson, who retired after coaching the team 11 of the past 12 seasons, guiding it to five NBA championships.

When several news media outlets reported last week that Brown would be hired, former Laker star guard Magic Johnson, now a team vice president wrote on his Twitter account, “For Jim Buss, this is a bold move hiring Mike Brown and I hope it all works out,” referring to the team’s executive vice president, player personnel.

Laker guard Derek Fisher wrote, “Will miss Phil but excited to start a new chapter under Mike Brown. Looking forward to a different style and energy!!”

On his Twitter account, in response to a question, Laker center Pau Gasol wrote, “I’m excited about our new coach. I hope he can lead us to more titles.”

Los Angeles Clippers guard Mo Williams, who played for Brown for two seasons in Cleveland wrote, “Lakers won’t be sorry for that hiring.”

Brown had a 272-138 record with the Cavaliers, and was named as the NBA’s Coach of the Year for the 2008-2009 season, when he coached Cleveland to a franchise-best 66-16 record.

Brown guided the Cavaliers to NBA finals in 2007 for the only time in their history, but they lost in four games to the San Antonio Spurs.

Brown graduated from the University of San Diego in 1992 and began his NBA career that year with the Denver Nuggets as a scout and video coordinator.

Following five seasons with Denver, he became an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards in 1997, remaining there until 2000 when he began a three-season stint as an assistant coach with San Antonio. Brown was the Indiana Pacers associate head coach in the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 seasons.

It looks like former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown will become the new coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Brad Turner of The LA Times reports the Lakers have put together a deal worth between $4 million and $4.5 million per season, for three years, with a team option on the fourth season that would give him partial pay if he was not retained.

Brown, 41, became the front-runner because Jim Buss, the team’s executive vice president of player personnel, was impressed with his defense-minded style.

Lakers owner Jerry Buss did an interview with Sirius XM Radio on Tuesday, saying the team was “very close” to filling its coaching vacancy.

It now appears as if Brown is that person, something that could be announced in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Brown left the Cavaliers after five seasons with a 272-138 record. After the Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals in 2010, Brown was fired.

The Lakers have put together a deal to hire former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown as their new coach, an NBA official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter said late Tuesday.

If Brown agrees to the deal, he’ll sign a contract worth between $4 million and $4.5 million per season, the official said. Brown would sign for three years, with a team option on the fourth season that would give him partial pay if he was not retained.

Brown, 41, became the front-runner because Jim Buss, the team’s executive vice president of player personnel, was impressed with his defense-minded style.

Former Houston Rockets coach Rick Adelman also was in the mix for the job and will remain a candidate to replace Phil Jackson if Brown turns down the deal from the Lakers.

Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw also was considered for the head position.

The Lakers had to wait until General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Buss returned from pre-draft camps in Chicago and Minneapolis on Tuesday night before they could get a deal done.

Lakers owner Jerry Buss did an interview with Sirius XM Radio on Tuesday, saying the team was “very close” to filling its coaching vacancy.

It now appears as if Brown is that person, something that could be announced in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Brown was with the Cavaliers for five seasons until he was fired in 2010, leaving with a 272-138 record.

He was named the NBA’s coach of the year in 2009 for leading the Cavaliers to a 66-16 record.

Brown led the Cavaliers to a 61-21 record during the 2009-10 season, another league-best record.

But after the Cavaliers lost to the Orlando Magic in the 2009 Eastern Conference finals and to the Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals in 2010, Brown was fired.

Brown led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007, but Cleveland was swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

Brown coached one of the NBA’s superstars in former Cavalier LeBron James.

In his radio interview Tuesday, Jerry Buss said that he expected the Lakers’ core roster to return next season, with a “tweak … here or there.”

Buss was interviewed by Playboy Radio’s Michael Eaves and Bonnie-Jill Laflin.

Buss did say there would be changes in the Lakers’ offense.

“We’re not going to continue exclusively with the triangle,” Buss said. “Certainly, there will be facets of the triangle incorporated into any modern offense.”

Various Lakers, including Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and Luke Walton, have publicly endorsed Shaw to be the next coach, in part because of his familiarity with their personnel.