FWIW, I did it! I realized that I had an appropriate drive to clone the SSD from…

[Black]

I think you should wipe the SSD and try again to clone directly from the 1 TB internal. As far as what not to bring over, keep it very simple.
You said in another thread that your cloing app (which I've never heard of) has the option to uncheck files or folders.

Here is your stuff per a previous thread:

Applications=90GB
Desktop=126GB
Documents (which includes the very necessary Microsoft Identity file) =126GB
Downloads=9GB
Dropbox=531MB
Installers Folder=685MB
Movies, Music & Pictures Folders=156GB
Public (seems to only hold Dropbox) =0GB
Stored Desktop Files saved from previous backup (I don't know that this has to be in the Home folder?)=84GB

Question-- where is all this? Does the above describe exactly what you see when you open your "home" folder?