@gingerw I have a Japanese maple that I tucked in by the deck. Two winters ago a lot of snow accumulated on our metal roof, and when it slid off it broke branches on the maple. So I'm training branches with bonsai wire, to fill in that space. Damage is part of the bonsai look, often done intentionally. But snow sliding on it wasn't part of the plan.

Taking your tree out of the pot and trimming the roots could give it a chance at life. Maybe it needs a bigger pot, but not necessarily. Being root bound could be part of what's stressing it. You could leave some of the dead wood and make it part of its character. Pardon the rambling.

Have fun with it. If you kill it, it doesn't sound like you're attached to it.

Jim