At this point, one of the only ways I can see to get out of the gerrymandering loop is to shrug and participate in it, since Republicans haven't actually been subject to it to the same degree and it's been a free move for them. Might as well impose some consequences and see what happens
I think it has to happen, but I fully expect SCOTUS to play calvinball and declare that California can't gerrymander because, um, IDK, responding to Texas legislation violated the commerce clause or whatever.
Quite possible, but I do think the answer is always "fine, make them do it" rather than pre-emptively deferring