The Philadelphia 76ers find themselves in the middle of James Harden's free agency saga. The veteran star's next team is uncertain as the Sixers make efforts to retain him. As they ponder backup options, Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal is emerging as a possibility. Former NBA player and current show host Chandler Parsons would like to see it.

The Sixers have been linked to Beal before, especially with the Wizards seemingly headed for a full rebuild. On FanDuelTV's Run it Back, Parsons opines that Beal would be a great addition to the Sixers. He says that Harden is on “a different vibe” and that being torn about sticking with the Sixers suggests that the team should go another way.

“I think Brad Beal is one of those players that he's so talented and he's just been in a s****y situation for his entire career, to be boldly honest with you,” Parsons said. “I think he is a perfect fit for Joel Embiid. I think he's a great guy…He can create. He can shoot the ball. He's slightly younger than James Harden. So, I definitely think that there is something here.”

Parsons says that Embiid and Beal are friends, pointing to the fact that they are both clients of NBA trainer Drew Hanlen. Although Beal's score-first game would be redundant with Tyrese Maxey, he could help the Sixers retain some star power if Harden dips. Philly would miss a lot of playmaking if Harden leaves but Beal is a solid passer in his own right. He had one of his most efficient scoring seasons last year, shooting a career-high 55.2 percent inside the arc while averaging 23.2 points and 5.4 assists per game.

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The Sixers could use Tobias Harris' contract to acquire Bradley Beal in a trade and potentially use Furkan Korkmaz as a salary filler. Beal's trade value appears to be lower than expected due to his massive contract — he is owed roughly $207 million over the next four seasons — so Philly may not have to attach many more assets to acquire him. Still, trading for him would essentially be a full commitment to him as Embiid's second option.

The unfortunate reality for the Sixers is that they can’t be picky with who their second star next to Embiid is. Their options are extremely limited and each star they could potentially get is flawed. Beal is a great talent but the contract he's on, plus being a less perfect fit in Philly than Parsons thinks, makes the option to trade for him a shaky one.