Trevor Ariza spent nearly two decades in the NBA, won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, played alongside stars such as Kobe Bryant, James Harden, and Dwight Howard, and earned more than $116 million during his playing career.
Today, according to newly filed court documents, the former NBA forward says he earns roughly $6,000 per month.
The dramatic financial reversal has become public through Ariza’s ongoing legal battle with ex-wife Bree Anderson Ariza, where updated income and expense filings revealed details of his current financial situation.
According to documents obtained by TMZ Sports, Ariza now works as a trainer for disabled individuals and reports earning an average of $6,000 per month. In fact, he claimed he earned only $2,316 last month from that work.
He also reported receiving approximately $667 per month from investments connected to Buffalo Wild Wings. Those numbers stand in stark contrast to the money he earned during an 18-year NBA career that generated more than $116 million in salary alone.
Ariza’s latest filing shows he currently has around $50,000 in cash and bank accounts and roughly $2.5 million in real estate assets. He lives with his girlfriend Kristy, her two children, his 14-year-old son, and his aunt.
Despite the reduced income, the expenses remain substantial.
Ariza listed monthly costs that include $2,000 for healthcare, $2,000 for groceries, $2,000 for utilities, $2,000 for education expenses, $2,000 for auto expenses and insurance, plus additional spending on clothing and household needs. His total monthly expenses reportedly reach $11,600.
He also stated that he pays approximately $7,700 per month in child support obligations from other relationships. The situation is especially notable because Ariza already revealed financial struggles in court filings last year.
In 2025, he asked the court to reduce his child support payments, claiming he was effectively broke despite earning over $118 million during his NBA career. At that time, Ariza reported a negative bank balance, declining property values, and monthly obligations that exceeded $37,000.
While his latest filing suggests some improvement compared to last year’s financial picture, it also highlights how quickly circumstances can change after retirement from professional sports.
Ariza is far from the first former NBA player to experience financial difficulties.
Studies have often cited that a significant percentage of former professional athletes face financial problems within a few years of retirement. The transition can be difficult because playing salaries disappear while lifestyle costs, family obligations, taxes, legal fees, and support payments remain.
Former NBA star Antoine Walker famously earned over $100 million during his career before filing for bankruptcy. He later rebuilt his finances and has become an advocate for financial education among athletes. Ariza’s situation serves as another reminder that earning millions does not automatically guarantee lifelong financial security.
For NBA fans, the story is surprising because Ariza was one of the league’s most durable and successful role players. He appeared in more than 1,100 NBA games, won a championship with the Lakers in 2009, and played for 10 different franchises during his career.
At his peak, he was earning over $12 million annually. Now, four years removed from his final NBA season, Ariza is trying to rebuild life outside basketball while navigating legal battles, support obligations, and a drastically different income level.
The numbers may be shocking, but they also highlight one of the harsh realities of professional sports. NBA careers eventually end. What happens afterward often becomes the most important financial chapter of all.
