Just a random thought (as susch thoughts come up when one's brain is crashing...)
What good would Gollum do if he had lived? He'd be miserable forever, with chances of recovering being zilch. The way he went was Tolkien's way of putting the poor thing out of it misery.
As for Deagol, I'd still say that Bilbo was a sort of redemption. The ring wanted something different to corrupt, I guess. Someone nicer.
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