I'm for Lando dying not because he has to redeem himself (though he is the sort of guy who thinks he might) but to prove that sometimes fighting for a good cause comes at a price and victory over evil is it's own reward.

Han could serve the same role but it would be almost impossible to find a way to do it without finding someone who looked just like Harrison Ford circa 1982ish and putting him in a forest.

Lando can die just by adding an explosion at the beginning of a bigger explosion and trimming him out of the rest of the film.

Lando goes from being an also ran character to the biggest hero of the final film so in terms of racial politics (for those who care about such things) he moves up several notches by laying down his life not just for his friends but for the entire galaxy.

It also plants the suggestion that the self proclaimed cynical Solo is actually more atuned to the Force than he thought he was in ANH.

His funny feeling is justified and Lando lives on as an heroic example to all scoundrels.

"Rejoice for those around you who transform into The Force. Mourn them, do not..."