The Alaska class as a conversion candidate

Would an Alaska-class large cruiser have made a better missile-conversion platform?

Yes. Its size could have accommodated command facilities and missile systems while still retaining useful gun armament.

The large cruiser hull is presented as an attractive conversion candidate because it could combine new command and missile functions with substantial residual firepower. An Alaska offered far more internal volume and deck space than a conventional heavy cruiser, potentially accommodating headquarters facilities as well as missile systems. The proposal also retains useful guns instead of reducing the ship to a single-purpose missile battery. This is a counterfactual, but it shows why displacement, reserve space, and the desired mix of roles determine whether an old hull is worth rebuilding.