Paul Pierce’s lawyer says former NBA star is ‘drowning financially’ amid legal battle with ex-wife

The former NBA star says his income has dropped to zero as his ex-wife seeks additional legal fees and money for a forensic accountant.

Paul Pierce made roughly $200 million playing basketball, according to reports. In a new court filing, his lawyer describes a man who can barely keep up.

TMZ obtained documents in which the former Boston Celtics star says his last paycheck from Fox Sports arrived in August. Before that, his average monthly income ran about $119,000. Now, he says, that figure sits at zero, with the only recent money coming from roughly $23,000 in partnership interests tied to other business ventures last month.

The outgoing side of the ledger looks very different. Pierce says he pays about $28,000 a month in child support and another $20,000 in spousal support. He lists around $48,000 in monthly expenses, including $8,000 for childcare, $5,000 on groceries, $7,000 eating out, $3,200 for utilities, $3,500 on entertainment and $1,000 on clothing.

Against those obligations, he reports $300,000 in cash and $3 million in property.

The filing is a response to his ex-wife, Princess Santiago, who has asked the court for $40,000 in legal fees plus $10,000 to hire a forensic accountant. Santiago argued Pierce has been playing games with his financial records and wants an independent expert to examine them.

Pierce’s attorney pushed back, writing that his client would have “great difficulty” covering those costs since the Fox Sports contract was terminated, and describing him as “drowning financially” as he struggles to meet his existing commitments.

The request follows an earlier ruling in the case. Pierce was previously ordered to pay Santiago $8,508 a month in temporary child support for their son, King, along with $100,000 toward her legal fees.

The dispute now turns on a familiar question in high-net-worth family cases, whether reduced income reflects genuine hardship or a temporary gap that a review of the full financial picture would reveal differently. Santiago’s request for a forensic accountant suggests she believes the latter. Pierce’s filing argues there is simply nothing left to dig through.

His $3 million in property complicates the “tapped out” framing somewhat, since real estate is wealth but not cash on hand. Liquidity, rather than net worth, appears to be the core of his argument.

The court has not yet ruled on Santiago’s latest request. The outcome may also determine how closely a judge examines the money a former NBA champion says he no longer has.