Sooner or later the tonnage is going to have to go up to cruiser weight 18,000 tons or so and a return to original cruiser type missions. Think DesMoines class, nuclear powered, two turrets with automatic 8” guns one turret with full missile array and secondary armaments as necessary. Cruisers are a fast force projection weapon tough,nimble,self sufficient and multi-role capable.
CGX was killed in its cradle when the Zumwalt DD’s had so many cost overruns. The Navy decided it couldn’t really afford a new cruiser and so has been packing more stuff into their Flight IIA Burke destroyers. The later Burke’s are filling the role of light-cruiser.