Why CP3 and Howard need to be traded

Over the last several years, both the New Orleans Hornets and Orlando Magic have had varying degrees of success. Chris Paul has led the Hornets to the playoffs three times in his career, once reaching the Western Conference semifinals. With Dwight Howard, the Magic have had an even better track record, reaching the postseason each of the last five years, including reaching the NBA Finals in 2009. Combined, Paul and Howard have combined for nine All-Star games, eight selections to an All-NBA team, seven selections to an All-Defense team, and Howard has won three straight Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Despite all the accolades and accomplishments these two players have in their careers, there are two things that neither of them fell they will be able to get on their current teams: an NBA championship and playing under the bright lights of a large market NBA franchise. In the last few weeks, both have made it clear that they would like to be traded to a contending team in a large market, which is no surprise, because any NBA player that has a shred of competitive desire wants to hold a Larry O'Brien Trophy, as well as receive the increased endorsement deals that result from being in larger media markets.

For Chris Paul, he's the face of a franchise that is now league-owned, and struggles to get the publicity of teams in bigger cities. I can truly understand Paul's desire to leave, as with ownership in flux, its difficult to see what the team might look like a couple of years down the road. Now that David West has left (signing a two year, $20 million deal), he's left without a true second option to play with. The league has already vetoed a three team trade that would have sent Paul to the Lakers, due to the fact that the big wigs at the league office believed it was an unfair trade. I have a hard time believing that the NBA has the team's best interest at heart, due to the fact that Paul is the only true marketable player on "their" team, and the selling price would be much lower without CP3 in tow for the Hornets.
Regarding Dwight Howard, GM Otis Smith and ownership have done everything they could to try and build a contending team around Dwight Howard, even if some of their acquisitions haven't always panned out as well as hoped (Jason Richardson, Vince Carter). Last season, the Magic had the second highest payroll in the league, trailing only the Lakers. Howard's inconsistency regarding his happiness and desire to stay there in the last couple of seasons have no doubt frustrated the fan base, as no fan ever wants to see a superstar of Howard's level leave their team. Were the team to be directly informed by Howard he wanted to leave over a year ago, they likely could have ended up receiving more in trade than they will this season.
For Paul, the NBA has made it clear that they are not going to allow the Hornets to trade Paul without getting what they perceive as fair market value for him. The Lakers (though the league has already vetoed one trade between these teams) could still be in play for the Hornets, with a trade of Pau Gasol and possibly 1st round pick PG Darius Morris. The Clippers could offer a deal centered around a re-signed DeAndre Jordan. Boston would likely offer a package including Rajon Rondo and potentially Jeff Green, and would also likely be willing to take back Emeka Okafor's hefty contract, as they are lacking a defense oriented center.
With Howard, the Magic would likely have no shortage of suitors. Howard has expressed an interest in playing in New Jersey (soon to be Brooklyn) with Deron Williams. The Nets could offer multiple first round picks and center Brook Lopez. The Lakers would seemingly be willing to part with Andrew Bynum, and the trade could be expanded to include Hedo Turkoglu, who has a hideous contract. One other team that could be somewhat surprising trade partners are the Chicago Bulls, who could potentially offer a package of Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson.
Being a fan of some small market teams (inlcuding the Portland Trailblazers and Buffalo Bills), I can empathize with those who don't want to see their team lose their best players, however it's much better to trade that player, rather than see him "take his talents" somewhere else. I'm sure Cleveland Cavaliers fans can relate.